In the face of an inflation-driven $250 million budget shortfall, Rivera’s amendment continues to cement the council’s commitment to the wealthy, to corporations, and to fiscal conservatism at the expense of marginalized communities suffering under the pressures of the ongoing housing crisis.

by Hannah Krieg

For more than three hours, BIPOC-led organizations shamed Council Member Maritza Rivera for her last-minute amendment to rug-pull funding for the beloved Equitable Development Initiative (EDI). EDI, passed in 2016, aims to curb displacement by empowering BIPOC-led community groups to build affordable housing, community centers, and other capital projects. They called Rivera, her supportive colleagues, and the amendment racist, discriminatory, ridiculous, preposterous, outrageous, appalling, tone-deaf, short-sighted, misguided, and ugly. 

Instead of “listening to community” and bending to their will, as she vowed to do on the campaign trail, Rivera motioned to delay the bill for a week to give her time to combat alleged “disinformation” and “fear-mongering” about her amendment. 

The council voted 6-3 to delay it until next week. Council Member Dan Strauss, as Budget Chair, voted no because he did not want to delay a small technical bill when Rivera could mess with EDI during the supplemental budget process this summer. Tammy Morales and Joy Hollingsworth voted no because they won’t support it, whether they have extra time to mull it over or not. Morales, who called on the public to oppose the amendment, expressed her disappointment that Rivera would drag out the debate.

“Frankly, if you want to propose legislation that rolls back commitments made to Black and brown communities, at least have the courage to stand by your legislation and vote on it or acknowledge that you made a mistake and withdraw it,” Morales said. 

The Hill Rivera Died On

On Friday afternoon before a long weekend, Rivera proposed an amendment on the carry forward ordinance, a small technical bill that basically confirms previous budgetary promises. The amendment would pause $25.3 million that the previous council already promised in the 2024 budget, jeopardizing more than 50 capital projects–mostly Black-led, mostly in the South End—such as 130 units of affordable housing in Africatown’s Midtown plaza, a community center for Cham refugees, and Estelita’s social justice library on Beacon Hill. 

The proviso would block the Office of Community Planning and Development (OPCD) from releasing those funds until it spent the $53.5 million the program already has, provided detailed analysis on the projects EDI funds, and, after all that, secured a majority council vote of approval. The OPCD would have until September before Rivera’s amendment would siphon the $25.3 million to fill the general fund deficit. Given how long these kinds of projects take, it seems unrealistic that OPCD could disperse those funds in four months. 

Rivera claims that the amendment would actually not hurt the 50+ current projects. Rather, she is just concerned “that there is no transparency as to how the department plans to move the majority of the EDI projects awarded to date to completion.” It is unclear how threatening to reabsorb their money would help bring those projects to completion. 

EDI projects take a long time, according to the organizations who testified, because BIPOC-led groups are not typically experienced developers. For example, Chief Seattle Club started receiving funding from EDI before it ever built housing. 

Plus, as Morales noted during the meeting, the council does not apply this level of scrutiny to the Office of Housing or to Seattle Department of Transportation. “It is interesting to me that the programs that are meant to assist with reversing harm done to communities of color are more closely scrutinized than other programs in the city and are consistently at risk of being defunded more than other programs in the City,” Morales said.

Rivera may claim she’s not trying to kill EDI, but it’s not the first time the council killed an anti-displacement and affordable housing initiative. Earlier this month, the council rejected Council Member Tammy Morales’s Connected Communities Pilot program, which would have given development incentives for low-income, community-centered housing at no cost to the City. The Mayor also fucked over marginalized residents by eliminating all new anti-displacement strategies from his broadly disappointing Comprehensive Plan. 

She’s So Ronald Regan-Coded

Beyond that, in the face of an inflation-driven $250 million budget shortfall, Rivera’s amendment continues to cement the council’s commitment to the wealthy, to corporations, and to fiscal conservatism at the expense of marginalized communities suffering under the pressures of the ongoing housing crisis. 

Not only does Rivera’s proviso jeopardize BIPOC projects, it also initiates the council’s raid of the JumpStart payroll tax, a tax on the City’s very largest corporations specifically dedicated to funding affordable housing, Green New Deal initiatives, and economic development. About $19.8 million of EDI’s $25.3 million comes from the JumpStart payroll tax. About 9% of JumpStart must fund EDI by law. 

Most of the city council ran on an anti-tax platform, despite knowing full well the City faces a quarter-billion budget shortfall in 2025. The anti-tax advocates that got the newbies elected, including the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, have suggested the City move JumpStart funds into the general fund, defunding affordable housing and climate initiatives instead of taxing big business. 

Several commenters anticipated Rivera and the council using the deficit as justification. 

“I understand that there’s a budget shortfall,” said Jill Freidburg, co-founder of Wa Na Wari. “It’s the city council’s job to be creative in solving problems like budget shortfalls, not to reinforce structural inequities because it’s the easiest way to close a budget shortfall. The City has been solving budget shortfalls on the backs of Seattle’s Black communities for decades. Go find the money somewhere else this time.”

Public commenters suggested the council found money to fill the deficit in the Seattle Police Department. After all, the council just approved 24% retroactive raises in the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract. 

Council candidate Alexis Mercedes Rinck said in order to address the deficit equitably, the City must implement new progressive revenue. Luckily for the council, their predecessors left them a menu of options to help fill the budget hole. However, Budget Chair Dan Strauss told The Stranger that the council will not consider new revenue until the Mayor hands down his budget draft this fall. 

Public commenters will likely return to City Hall to defend EDI next week. It is unclear what Rivera will say to convince those she scorned that she’s not trying to “slap” communities in the face or balance the City budget on the backs of Black people.  

The Stranger

Does Robert De Niro Consume Weed

He can make you an offer you don’ refuse. Don’ worry. But does Robert De Niro consume weed.

The post Does Robert De Niro Consume Weed appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

The Fresh Toast

On the Magnum: Dr. Evan Goldstein

by The Stranger

Yikes! Her boyfriend’s pre-teen son has been stealing her underwear. This very naughty lad lives with them half the time. How can she get this boundary violation out of her head?

Twelve long years ago, he cheated on his wife. They got through it with therapy and endless processing. While watching TV with their kids (age 10 and 13) the subject of infidelity came up on the show, and his wife appeared upset. She was angry that he didn’t pause the show and tell his kids that he had cheated on their mom. How can he work with her unresolved issues?

On the Magnum, we are delighted to bring back our favorite anal surgeon, Dr. Evan Goldstein of Bespoke Surgical. Dr. Goldstein has a new book out: Butt Seriously: The Definitive Guide to Anal Health, Pleasure, and Everything In Between. His take on sexual health and prioritizing pleasure is refreshing and rare. He and Dan talk about the health challenges transwomen face, and whether you can stretch out your ass in one fateful evening.

A gay man has a bad track record with polyamory. Every time he gets together with a couple, trouble follows. Does it work for anyone? Ever?

width=”100%”>

The Stranger

Including Tangerine Sunrise, Lemon Tree, and Wagyu.

The post Leafly Buzz: 12 hot cannabis strains of May 2024 appeared first on Leafly.

Leafly

New York Gets Cannabis Leadership Change

After a chaotic rollout, lost state revenue and more, New York gets cannabis leadership change – FINALLY.

The post New York Gets Cannabis Leadership Change appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

The Fresh Toast

Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales, Pearl Jam, and More Top Picks

by EverOut Staff

This week, we’re closing May out strong and diving right into June, thanks in part to stellar events from Jinkx Monsoon & Major Scales: Together Again, Again! to Pearl Jam and from MoPOP’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival to Bacon Eggs & Kegs.

TUESDAY
LIVE MUSIC

Holly Humberstone
Having opened for pop royalty like Olivia Rodrigo and Girl in Red, British singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone has collected some major Gen Z street cred since releasing her 2020 EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel. Now embarking on a headlining tour, Humberstone will play songs from her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black, which documents her knack for capturing turbulent life moments like breaking up (“Antichrist”) and homesickness (“Room Service”). AUDREY VANN
(Neumos, Capitol Hill)

The Stranger

LNG is one of the most pressing risks to our climate and communities in the US, but because of the fossil fuel industry’s false advertising, most people have never heard of it.

by Emma Coopersmith

Outside the office building, we paused to hand out signs. A bright orange-and-yellow sun with the phrase “Defend Environmental Justice” written on it, “People Over Fossil Fuels” written on used cardboard, and the shortest on—”Stop LNG” written in Sharpie. Together, they expressed the reasons we were taking action: the buildout of liquified natural gas, or LNG, currently spreading across the Gulf South and throughout the country. 

LNG is one of the most pressing risks to our climate and communities in the US, but because of the fossil fuel industry’s false advertising, most people have never heard of it. Chances are you’ve seen it, though. If you live in the Seattle area, you may have spotted a slogan on the side of energy trucks that reads, “Going Green with LNG!” However, while the industry promotes LNG as a clean energy source, it is actually a nonrenewable fossil fuel posing serious risks to the safety of our communities.

The infrastructure it takes to process LNG pollutes nearby land and water, leading to higher rates of cancer and other illnesses. Because of its high methane content, LNG also fuels the existing climate crisis. Now, when every degree the planet warms multiplies the destruction and suffering that climate disasters are already causing, expanding this dangerous fuel is not a choice we can afford to make.

As Seattle feels these impacts in the form of floods, deadly heat waves, and suffocating blankets of wildfire smoke, it is past time to hold the fossil fuel industry and corporations accountable for the climate deception and destruction they’ve caused. So, we’re pushing back. We refuse to be scammed and exploited, and our movement is already making an impact at all levels of government. Under pressure from a coalition of organizers across the country, led by young people and frontline communities, President Biden recently announced a national pause on LNG exports. But Washington state has a dirty little secret: Puget Sound Energy—a privately owned corporation and Washington’s primary energy provider—continues to expand Washington’s reliance on LNG.

Despite PSE’s claims, LNG is not safe or reliable. In addition to its other risks, the failure of gas infrastructure during the cold snap that hit the Seattle area this January showed that we can’t depend on gas to meet the needs of our communities—especially during extreme weather. Using gas for heating and cooking can be dangerous as well. Besides the risks of leaks and explosions, the emissions from stoves are linked to asthma and other health conditions, especially for children. 

We are not stopping with the national pause, though: as young people, we are fighting for an end to LNG here and now. House Bill 1589, which bans new gas connections from Puget Sound Energy, recently passed the State Legislature. The dangerous Tacoma LNG expansion project was abandoned after community residents and the Puyallup tribe challenged it in court. In February, we met after school at Puget Sound Energy’s headquarters in Bellevue to deliver a petition calling on PSE to stop supporting the expansion of LNG infrastructure, end misleading advertising of LNG, and accelerate a just transition off all fossil fuels. 

This momentum won’t sustain itself. We need you to take action. Encourage your elected officials to oppose LNG expansion, and if you can, take steps to transition off “natural” gas. Together, we can protect our climate, health, communities, and future.

Emma Coopersmith is a dedicated climate justice advocate, peer educator, and Swiftie.  She organizes with the Sunrise Movement and Zero Hour. She’s a high school senior in Seattle. 

Hannah Lindell-Smith is a community and political organizer, movement artist, and student at Summit Atlas High School. She’s currently the Coalitions Lead at Zero Hour. 

The Stranger

A big affordable housing developer wants to roll back tenant protections, and the council won’t say if it’s sympathetic.

by Hannah Krieg

The Seattle City Council is on a crusade to undo the previous council’s marginal progressive wins—from a promise to reinstate archaic anti-loitering laws to an attempt to gut the historic gig worker minimum wage. It appears the hard-fought eviction moratoriums could be next on the chopping block. Those protections keep kids and teachers housed during the school year and keep income-qualifying renters off the streets during the coldest months.  

In an email to Council Member Cathy Moore and to the members of her Housing and Human Services Committee, Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) Executive Director Sharon Lee asked the council to “modify” the City’s winter and school-year eviction moratoriums to exclude “people with income who decide not to pay rent.” Lee told The Stranger that LIHI supports strong tenant protections and called the exclusion of renters with income a “narrow exception” to the moratoriums, not a repeal. 

Lee is not some random commenter the council could brush off. LIHI is a major affordable housing contractor with the City and by far the most prolific tiny shelter village developer in the region. I asked the Housing Development Consortium (HDC), an umbrella organization that represents more than 200 members including LIHI, about the popularity of Lee’s proposal among their members. HDC did not respond. 

LIHI’s Logic

In a follow-up email to The Stranger, Lee argued that when a “tenant with resources” refuses to pay rent, nonprofit affordable housing landlords suffer “enormous consequences” due to their dependency on private lenders.  

“Lenders are now citing the Seattle eviction moratoriums as the reason why they will not provide financing to preserve existing affordable housing in our communities facing displacement and gentrification,” Lee wrote in an email. “If there are no reliable means to ensure timely rent payments to make good on a loan, then the production of affordable housing will take a big hit.”

Lee gave Moore an example in her initial email to the council committee. LIHI wants to acquire and preserve 65 affordable housing units at Squire Park Plaza in the Central District. The nonprofit secured funding commitments with the Office of Housing (OH), the state Housing Trust Fund, and the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC), but private lenders keep declining to finance the project. Lee sent the council a cropped, undated screenshot from an email allegedly from an unnamed “bank official.” The bank official wrote that Vanguard, PIMCO, Prudential, Alliance Berstein, Franklin Templeton, Align Capital, Belle Haven, Investco, Nuveen, Banner Bank, Washington Trust Bank, and Heritage Bank “passed on the deal — mainly due to the ongoing issue of the rent moratorium.”

Lee worried that this alleged behavior from private investors may have “ripple effects” for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. As the Tax Policy Center explains, the federal government gives tax credits to state governments, which deal out the credits to developers such as LIHI. Then, developers sell the credits to private investors to get funding for their housing projects. So, Lee said that LIHTC, without which none of LIHI’s projects would pencil, relies completely on private investors playing ball. 

Moore did not respond to The Stranger’s request for comment, but should she and her committee pursue rollbacks to the moratoriums, they can expect a fight. 

Not So Narrow 

For one, “tenants with resources” is a pretty vague exemption to ask for. Lee told The Stranger that LIHI does not have a detailed proposal at this time, but excluding renters with income certainly creates more than a “narrow exemption.” 

Of the 3,716 households in King County who last year got counsel from the Housing Justice Project (HJP), an organization that defends low-income tenants in eviction court, 73% reported some income. The largest share of HJP’s 2023 clients–2,241, or about 40%—reported making more than zero dollars but less than 100% of that year’s federal poverty level of $14,580 in annual income. Another 23% of HJP clients last year reported income between $14,580 and $29,160, or 200% of the federal poverty level. The remaining clients made more money, but they still fell below the Area Median Income, according to HJP. 

Edmund Witter, managing attorney at HJP, said that exemptions for ability to pay don’t make a whole lot of sense: “I don’t know how you calculate that—people have unexpected obligations, and you are setting up uniform household budget expectations for low-income persons who don’t have savings.”

Who’s Afraid of a Little Ole Legal Defense? 

It is unclear if lenders are truly avoiding affordable housing projects because of the City’s moratoriums. The Stranger emailed all of these investors who allegedly declined LIHI’s deal. Only a few responded, but the two who did deny that LIHI approached them about Squire Park Plaza. 

Belle Haven Investments Director of Research Dora Lee told The Stranger “it’s not the renter protections” that make lenders pass on affordable housing projects. As the economy comes out of a period of low interest rates into higher interest rates and high inflation, “We’ve seen the industry tighten up its underwriting standards and require more margin and more profitability in the projects that they do underwrite, which is constricting the amount of available capital for affordable housing projects.”

If we take LIHI’s word for it and grant that all the other lenders think the moratoriums specifically ruin profitability for developers, then they should maybe take some deep breaths. The moratorium is not that common of a defense. 

Lee could not immediately provide data to show how many evictions the moratoriums have thwarted for LIHI, but as The Stranger reported last year, HJP used the winter eviction moratorium five or six times in its first three years of existence. Now, HJP does cite these laws as a last-resort defense when a household has no other option, but “not often enough such that a landlord the size of LIHI should be going under,” Witter said.  

Affordable housing developer Ben Maritz told The Stranger that while he could see room for fixes and clarification with the moratoriums, he said that “essentially no evictions are proceeding to the point of a contested hearing where the moratorium would apply” because of a backlog of eviction cases. Maritz said, “The top priority needs to be restoring the functioning of the courts so that whatever rules we agree on can actually be applied.” On that score, King County Council Member Reagan Dunn has offered a proposal. 

Oh, the Humanity!

Aside from lenders and other housing developers offering compelling arguments against Lee’s claims, tenant advocates point out how shitty it is for someone with the phrase “Housing is a human right!” in their email signature to advocate for a policy that could leave more people without housing. 

Be:Seattle Co-Executive Director Kate Rubin called LIHI’s request “disgraceful” and in direct contradiction with their mission. 

“How dare they claim that they ‘advocate for just housing policies’ and then advocate for removing renter protections in order for them to grow their portfolio,” Rubin said in a message to The Stranger. She asked if LIHI would have enough tiny shelters for all the low-income families they want to kick out. 

Unsurprisingly, Council Member Tammy Morales’s office clapped back in an email to Lee. 

“Many renters in Seattle with income have had issues with paying their rent,” wrote Morales Chief of Staff Andra Kranzler. “The request to amend the statutes to exclude people with earnings is contrary to best practice.”

As funny as it is that Morales’s office sent Lee a link to the City’s updated renters’ handbook, progressives should brace themselves to defend these tenant protections and whatever else the landlord lobby wants to claw back. 

The real estate industry bought the current council, putting big bucks behind Council Members Rob Saka, Maritza Rivera, Dan Strauss, Bob Kettle, and Tanya Woo in their 2023 elections. Real estate interests really liked Moore, putting at least $100,000 into an independent expenditure to support her campaign. And now she’s the chair of the Housing and Human Services Committee. 

Morales seems to be the city’s only clear tenant defender. And boy does she have shit to defend for the next three-and-a-half years. 

The Stranger

The Stranger’s morning news roundup.

by Ashley Nerbovig

Good morning! Expect a rainy day today after 10 am and a high of 59 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. I really need summer to come a little faster because they’ve turned off the central heat in my apartment building. 

City Council to vote on rolling back “Pay Up” ordinance: The council plans to vote at 2 pm today on Council President Sara Nelson’s bill to lower the minimum wage for gig workers in Seattle. Lots to watch here. Will Council Member Tanya Woo vote on the bill despite a conflict of interest? Which amendments does Council Member Tammy Morales plan to introduce? If the bill passes, will Mayor Bruce Harrell veto it and earn his MLK Labor Oscar? Hannah will have a play-by-play. 

Speaking of the council fucking over people: Alleged bad boss Council Member Maritza Rivera wants to stop funds to 50 equitable development projects meant to benefit communities of color in Seattle. 

NEW: CM Maritza Rivera proposed a last minute amendment to Carryforward ORD that would put funds of equitable development projects in jeopardy. If passed, this could massively fuck over more than 50 capital projects specifically for communities of color pic.twitter.com/jnlgjqN0iU

— Hannah Krieg (@hannahkrieg) May 25, 2024

Look at what Maritza Rivera pulled on the Friday of a holiday weekend when no one’s paying attention: trying to defund anti-displacement & housing measures for POC on the southend. Ghoulish https://t.co/tK6lFGy3Ny

— Brett Hamil (@BrettHamil) May 27, 2024

Last note on council stuff: Central staff plans to brief the council’s Public Safety Committee today at 9:30 am with the latest staffing numbers and projections for the Seattle Police Department (SPD). TL;DR is that staffing has basically stayed relatively flat since the big departures in 2020, though the department has consistently fallen short of its hiring goals.

Six King County Sheriff Deputies shot and killed someone during an eviction: On Friday, the King County County Sheriff’s Office placed six deputies on administrative leave after they shot and killed someone during an eviction in Auburn. The department released few details on what led to the shooting, though PhotogSteve18 reported that the person may have shot at deputies first. 

UPDATE: King County Deputies shot someone during an eviction. Six deputies placed on administrative leave. No other details regarding what led deputies to shoot. https://t.co/LR9Or9jw5L pic.twitter.com/dNL35SAy3V

— Ashley Nerbovig (@AshleyNerbovig) May 24, 2024

Woman missing, feared to have drowned in Lake Washington Monday: Seattle Fire Department (SFD) officials said that a 24-year-old woman who went for a swim off a boat in Lake Washington may have drowned. SFD responded to a call about the woman at about 10 am, and by 11:30 pm officials told KOMO that rescuers had shifted to focusing on recovering the woman’s body. 

Fare inspection expanding on light rail: Sound Transit has plans to direct its fare inspectors to ask people waiting on the platform whether they have paid their fare, according to the Seattle Times. The new systems give people the option to go up and pay the fare rather than be cited, but it also gives people the option to say, “Hey it’s a free country, I’m just standing here watching the trains, why don’t you kick rocks?” 

Israel kills dozens in Rafah airstrike: At least 45 people died Monday, including women and children, after an Israeli airstrike hit a camp of displaced Palestinians, setting the temporary structures ablaze, according to the BBC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike a “mistake” and said the country has tried to avoid hitting civilians, even as incident after incident shows Israel consistently killing civilians. The Biden Administration needs some time to mull over whether it will make good on its threat to withhold some weapons from Israel for attacking Rafah, or whether it will just keep sending Israel money and weapons to carry out genocide.

Jury to deliberate Donald Trump hush-money trial: Attorneys gave their closing arguments in the Trump hush-money trial today, and jurors must soon decide whether to convict former president Trump on charges he falsified business records to pay Stormy Daniels some, as I call it, shush money. If convicted, Trump would become the first former president to become a felon. 

Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton dies: The 71-year-old basketball champion, sports broadcaster, and all-around good guy by all accounts died Monday after a long fight with cancer, according to the Associated Press. To be honest, I could not have picked this man out of a line-up before today, but apparently he protested the Vietnam War, and attracted the attention of the Portland Police Bureau for his support of the American Indian Movement. We love a pot-stirrer. RIP Walton. 

Bill Walton supported the American Indian Movement when he lived in Portland. This attracted the attention of the Portland Police Bureau, which surveilled his (wholly legal) activities. Walton was a one-of-a-kind guy. RIP [document from the Portland Archives & Records Center] pic.twitter.com/dqR4hnA4mD

— Jules Boykoff (@JulesBoykoff) May 27, 2024

Poor eastern side of the country: The weather really did a number on our other half over the weekend. Storms killed more than 20 people in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, according to USAToday. Twisters and tornados also killed people in parts of Texas and the mid-south. Now, Florida and Texas have to deal with a heat wave.

I survived COVID-19: After managing to avoid succumbing to the virus for about four years, I fell last week. I’m now insanely behind on all things except Stardew Valley and napping with my cat. I’m testing negative now, which is exciting. Anyway, enjoy listening to Narpy’s Cozy album, which I basically played on a loop all weekend as I slept. Stay healthy.

The Stranger

Desert Vibes, Beach Sandwiches, and Free Burgers

by EverOut Staff

Ease into Memorial Day weekend with our roundup of the latest happenings in the local food and drink world, from Capitol Hill’s new desert-themed bar The Wash to the Golden Gardens sandwich emporium The Kite Cafe and from free burgers to peach tea macchiatos. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.
NEW OPENINGS 

Crumble & Flake
The local ptisserie, which closed its Capitol Hill location last November, debuts its new Issaquah shop on Saturday. Due to staffing issues, the cafe menu has been delayed until next week, but rest assured there will be plenty of flaky pastries.
Issaquah

The Stranger